Social contact data is a core component of models for infectious disease spread. Contacts between individuals are not only the fabric of our social environment but also the means for a pathogen to spread in the population. Modeling the transmission processes of infectious diseases requires understanding the complex dynamics of social contacts in modern societies as the heterogeneities in social contacts result in heterogeneities of the risks of infection. Studies collecting social contact data provide novel and crucial information to inform modeling and analytic techniques, thus advancing forecasting and prediction capabilities as well as more accurate “in-silico” evaluations of public health interventions.
Social contact data provide public health officials and policymakers with essential insights into the contact patterns of heterogeneous U.S. populations, enabling the design of targeted and effective strategies for mitigating disease transmission.
Insight Net Studies
To date, there are four Insight Net centers conducting studies to collect primary social contact data: ACCIDDA, CIDMATH, Epistorm, and MADMC. Data from each study will be uploaded to Zenodo under the Insight Net Social Contact Data Community. An overview of characteristics from each study are detailed in the table below.
| Center | Study Length | Geography | Design | Includes Children | Includes Adults | Respondents per Survey | Planned Total Number of Surveys | Link to Study Page or Dashboard |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MADMC Study | 1 year | Minnesota and surrounding states | Cross-sectional | Yes | Yes | ~1,000 | 7 surveys across 4 waves; including both opt-in and probability based samples, plus testing of a shorter survey instrument | |
| Epistorm-Mix Study | 4 years | National | Cross-sectional | Yes | Yes | 900 – 1,800 | 6 waves | Activity Snapshot |
| CIDMATH ENGAGED Study | 1.5 years | Kaiser Permanente of Georgia (Atlanta) | Longitudinal | Yes | Yes | 740 | 6 per participant | Dashboard Link |
| CIDMATH HealthVU Study | 4 months | Georgia | Cross-sectional | No | Yes | 249 | 4 per participant | |
| ACCIDDA Study | 1 – 2 years | North Carolina, Maryland, Georgia, and Florida | Cross-sectional | No | Yes | 20,000 | 4 waves | Coming Soon |
| SickMix Study | 1 year | Oregon/Washington | Longitudinal | Yes | Yes | 1,700 (1,000 cases and 700 household members) | 3 per case; 2 per household member |
Useful Links
Link to the Insight Net Social Contact Data Community on Zenodo, where each center will upload study data for public access can be found below. Keep an eye out for data uploads on this page as studies progress!
Zenodo Community: https://zenodo.org/communities/insightnetsocialcontactdata/
Studies that have launched dashboards to share data from their study or pages dedicated to their study are linked in the summary table above. Links to each center’s website where you may find the latest updates on their activities, including social contact studies, are listed below.
- MADMC: https://www.sph.umn.edu/research/centers/midwest-analytics-and-disease-modeling/
- Epistorm: https://www.epistorm.org/
- CIDMATH: https://cidmath.org/
- ACCIDDA: https://tarheels.live/accidda/
If you are an Insight Net member or partner who has contact data to share or would like to get involved in the Social Contact Surveys Working Group, please reach out to the Coordinating Center at insightnetcoordinator@unc.edu.